164th Airlift Wing

164th Airlift Wing
164th Airlift Wing C-5 Galaxy over Memphis, Tennessee
Active	1 April 1961-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Tennessee
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Airlift
Part of	Tennessee Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Memphis Air National Guard Base, Memphis, Tennessee
Insignia
164th Airlift Wing emblem
Tail Stripe	Red with "Memphis" in white letters

The 164th Airlift Wing is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard, stationed at Memphis Air National Guard Base, Tennessee. If activated to federal service in the United States Air Force, the 164th is gained by Air Mobility Command.

The wing has been an airlift unit since it was established as the 164th Air Transport Group in 1961, and has flown a variety of strategic and tactical airlift aircraft. After 34 years as a group, it was expanded to become a wing in 1995.

The 164 Airlift Wing mission includes carrying fully equipped combat-ready military units to any point in the world on short notice and to provide field support required to sustain the fighting force.

The origins of the 164th Airlift Wing can be traced to December 1942, when the Army Air Forces activated the 359th Fighter Squadron. The 359th served during World War II in the European Theater of Operations. In 1946, the squadron was allotted to the National Guard as the 155th Fighter Squadron.

The 155th served as a fighter and tactical reconnaissance until 1 April 1961, when it converted to the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. With this transition, the unit that would eventually become the 164th Airlift Wing was activated as the 164th Air Transport Group, the headquarters for the 155th Air Transport Squadron and its supporting organizations. The entire organization was gained (when called to federal service) by Military Air Transport Service. Conversion to the Stratlfreighter brought a worldwide airlift mission to the group with operations to such places as Europe, Japan, South America, Australia and South Vietnam. On 1 January 1966, the group became the 164th Military Airlift Group as Military Air Transport Service was replaced by Military Airlift Command (MAC). Peak operations with the C-97 occurred in May 1966, when the unit flew 1702 hours and made ten round trips to Southeast Asia.